{"id":3464,"date":"2026-04-19T06:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T06:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/?p=3464"},"modified":"2026-04-19T06:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T06:17:15","slug":"whn-do-adults-throw-tantrums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/?p=3464","title":{"rendered":"When adults throw tantrums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong>We&#8217;ve seen children throw tantrums, is it different for adults? Few adults throw themselves on the floor of the local supermarket howling for lollies but how many grown ups resort to yelling, slamming doors, throwing things, sulking, crying, blaming, or storming off when they don&#8217;t get what they want?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Adult-tantrums-can-include-yelling-slamming-doors-throwing-things-sulking-crying-blaming-or-storming-off.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Adult-tantrums-can-include-yelling-slamming-doors-throwing-things-sulking-crying-blaming-or-storming-off.png 940w, https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Adult-tantrums-can-include-yelling-slamming-doors-throwing-things-sulking-crying-blaming-or-storming-off-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Adult-tantrums-can-include-yelling-slamming-doors-throwing-things-sulking-crying-blaming-or-storming-off-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Adults may throw tantrums when they feel overwhelmed, frustrated, afraid, ashamed, or unable to regulate strong emotions in the moment. Sometimes the outburst is a learned way to get needs met, avoid discomfort, or regain a sense of control, and sometimes it is linked to stress, trauma, or a mental health condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>Common reasons<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Poor emotion regulation: the person gets flooded and cannot calm down easily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unmet needs: frustration grows when someone feels ignored, powerless, or disappointed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fear or anxiety underneath anger: anger can cover hurt, shame, or worry.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stress buildup: ongoing pressure, sleep problems, or emotional overload can lower tolerance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learned behaviour: some adults have learned that outbursts get attention or control a situation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possible mental health or neurological factors: in some cases, rage attacks or disproportionate outbursts can be associated with conditions such as intermittent explosive disorder, personality disorders, ADHD, trauma-related issues, or substance use.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>What it often looks like<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adult tantrums can include yelling, slamming doors, throwing things, sulking, crying, blaming, or storming off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Health sources note that adult meltdowns are often less about wanting something childish and more about being unable to cope with painful feelings or tension.<a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An adult tantrum may point to a mental health disorder when the outbursts are frequent, intense, hard to control, and cause real problems in work, relationships, or safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>Signs to watch for<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The person has repeated outbursts that seem out of proportion to the trigger.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The behaviour includes shouting, threats, aggression, throwing things, property damage, or physical fights.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The person seems unable to calm down or stop once activated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The outbursts happen alongside other symptoms such as depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, mood swings, substance use, or irritability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There is guilt, shame, embarrassment, or exhaustion after the episode, but the pattern keeps repeating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>When it may be more than \u201cjust anger\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recurring pattern of sudden aggressive or violent outbursts can be seen in conditions such as intermittent explosive disorder, and similar behaviour can also appear with depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, or substance use problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the episodes involve violence, threats, or damage, that is a stronger sign that professional assessment is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>Simple clinical guide<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A useful rule is<strong>: <\/strong>if the \u201ctantrum\u201d is repeated, disproportionate, and impairing, treat it as a possible mental health issue rather than a personality flaw.<a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><a><strong>Red flags<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Harming people or animals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Breaking objects or punching walls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increasing frequency or intensity over time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any suicidal talk, self-harm, or fear that someone may be unsafe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/An-adult-tantrum-may-point-to-a-mental-health-disorder-when-the-outbursts-are-frequent-intense-hard-to-control-and-cause-real-problems-in-work-relationships-or-safety.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/An-adult-tantrum-may-point-to-a-mental-health-disorder-when-the-outbursts-are-frequent-intense-hard-to-control-and-cause-real-problems-in-work-relationships-or-safety.png 940w, https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/An-adult-tantrum-may-point-to-a-mental-health-disorder-when-the-outbursts-are-frequent-intense-hard-to-control-and-cause-real-problems-in-work-relationships-or-safety-300x251.png 300w, https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/An-adult-tantrum-may-point-to-a-mental-health-disorder-when-the-outbursts-are-frequent-intense-hard-to-control-and-cause-real-problems-in-work-relationships-or-safety-768x644.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ADULT TANTRUMS: How many grown ups resort to yelling, slamming doors, throwing things, sulking, crying, blaming, or storming off when they don&#8217;t get what they want?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[196,217,144,205,216,82],"tags":[296,294,295],"class_list":{"0":"post-3464","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-anxiety","8":"category-brain","9":"category-depression","10":"category-living","11":"category-loss","12":"category-relationship","13":"tag-adult-tanty","14":"tag-tantrums","15":"tag-tanty"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3464"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3464\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3478,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3464\/revisions\/3478"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisdomwithwhiskers.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}